Is it just me, or is making a pie sorta like going to jury duty?
Don’t get me wrong… I sometimes (no.. not always) like throwing together a pie. I also sometimes like trucking my rear downtown for jury duty…. that’s after kicking and screaming in the weeks prior to said dutying.
The process of going to jury makes me feel super adult. What? You want me to sit in this crowded room with a bunch of angry people missing work, and you want me to possibly make decisions Law and Order style? Ok. I’ll play your game justice system. I’m a tax paying adult… thanks for the recognition.
The process of making a pie also makes me feel all adult like. Something about tacking a many layered recipe and busting out my pie plate tells me that yes… you’ve got bills to pay, but why not take a minute… ok, an hour… and show to world who’s in charge by making a pie? Orange and Cream… done and done.
Because the temps are still absolutely blazing here in Southern California, I thought a no-bake pie was in order. One problem though… crust! This graham cracker crust is baked for a quick 10 minutes before the filling is poured into it, making this No-Bake Orange and Cream Pie a little bit of a lie.
The filling for this pie is easily thrown together on the stove top. Bonus! You can make this with either fresh orange juice and zest, or lemon juice and zest. Also, feel free to skip the whipped cream on top if you like. The pie will be just a lovely without it. My only problem was that the crust was a tad bit crumbly… but really, that’s wasn’t a huge problem for me. I could have easily eaten this pie directly out of the pie plate with a jumbo spoon.
No-Bake Orange and Cream Pie
For the crust:
1 2/3 cup crushed graham crackers
1/4 cup sugar
dash of ground cinnamon
1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons melted butter
Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and melted butter until evenly moistened. Press into a 9-inch pie plate and bake at 350 degrees F for 10-13 minutes, until lightly golden. Cool before filling.
For the filling:
3 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 cup sour cream
1 Tablespoon orange zest
1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
3 large egg yolks
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream (for the whipped cream top)
Combine the sugar, cornstarch, orange juice, zest yolks and milk in a heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium heat. Cook until thick, stirring constantly.
Add butter and stir until melted. Cool the mixture for 15 minutes, then add the sour cream. Stir to incorporate. Pour into cool pie crust and chill for 3 hours. I left my pie unwrapped in the fridge because I love a skin to form on top of the pie. Cover your pie loosely if you’d like. Whip up the cream, adding a few tablespoons of powdered sugar if you’d like, then spoon on top of the orange filling.
Gala
Orange and cream….in a pie….sounds delicious!
Sarah
Quite possibly my favourite dessert of all time but…Graham Crackers? Any suggestions on a replacement (besides gingernuts) for us Australian folk?
TaraLee
Shortbread crust which is delicious, but my family just loved it when I made it with Oreo cookie crust. Just dump about twelve Oreos in your food processor And blend until fine. No more ingredients needed for this crust, just press into a pie pan and fill. I’ve also done this where I’ve used a bit of egg white brushed over the crust and baked at 375 for 5 to 6 minutes which keeps the crust very crispy, even days later (if your pie makes it to days later!
olgalopez
Yummy Yummy I love Pies.
Carly
Ugh. I have jury duty on Wednesday, so I feel your pain. Creamsicle Pie looks awesome. Very clever, never would have though to use oranges in a pie! But it makes sense, I love anything citrus. Thanks for the constant inspiration.
Beekeeper
Oooo, I’m diggin’ the gingernut (also called ginger snaps in America :) crust idea… hmmmm… now, which one to do. I make a pie every first Sunday of the month and I’m always on the prowl for a new recipe. Here’s September’s! Thanks, Joy
Lowrie
You know what would be a super fly replacement for graham crackers? Gingernuts! Oh yesiree! I tell no lies. Orange and Gingernut up a tree…
P.S. Gingernuts are ginger buscuits (NZ pantry staple. They also have an ongoing love affair with steaming cups of tea).
EB
Ooh I love the 50/50 bar nostalgia of this one!
Hope
That is like a creamsicle pie! I am seriously in heaven!!
Shauna
Oh, lovely, totally underused orange. Why don’t more people make orange desserts, anyway? Lemons and limes always get all the love. Ridiculous!
And it’s only no-bake because you are so flippin’ awesome that you made a scratch graham crust. So, not a lie, but a triumph. Like my enabling skills?
megan
Does it taste like a creamsicle? my husband would love this if it did… :)
Jennifer
I completely agree with the pie making=adulthood. This looks like a quick one to try. I love a good graham cracker crust.
Anna
I love desserts with citrus, and the crust sounds very easy to make.
Amy
Pie beats out any other dessert at my house. Every single time. I cheat, though, and use the pre-made crust in the freezer section (sacrilege, I know.) I’m diggin’ this graham cracker crust option!
Cheri
I love anything creamy and orange. This looks delightful!
Amy
That looks…amazing. I’m not even an orange fan and I would totally eat that pie like it was nobody’s business.
sarah
just plain yum!